Android has long been the target of many lawsuits from large patent holding companies, especially Apple. As a Google owned patent for the notification bar as we know it, filed for in 2009, nears a possible approval, the tables may finally be turned.

When it comes to features, Google’s Android is ahead of, or on par with, every mobile operating system available today. But there’s one area where Android’s severely lacking: patents. Google released an operating system without owning any patents on a lot of the key technologies used to make it function. If Android would have never taken off, this probably wouldn’t be a problem. Instead, as Android has become a success, it’s become the target for what is arguably the most powerful company in the technology industry, Apple.

Lawsuit after lawsuit from Apple has left Android and the manufacturers using the platform trying their best to fight back. If a patent on Android’s notification bar is approved any time soon, Apple may be the one fighting back next.

In 2009, Google filed a patent for Android’s notification bar. If you’ve used iOS 5 or know anything about Apple’s “Notification Center,” you know that it’s a direct, blatant rip off of Android’s notification bar. According to the filing, Google would own the patent for “a computer-implemented user notification method includes displaying, in a status area near a perimeter of a graphical interface, a notification of a recent alert event for a mobile device, receiving a user selection in the status area, and in response to the receipt of the user selection, displaying, in a central zone of the graphical interface, detail regarding a plurality of recent messaging events for the mobile device.”

Since Google doesn’t own the patent to the notification bar yet, they can’t do anything but sit back and watch Apple use it in all of their most popular devices. Even the latest version of the Mac’s operating system, OS X 10.8, uses Notification Center. If Google’s patent application for Android’s notification bar is approved, there’s little to reason to believe it wouldn’t be an easy victory for Google, should they decide to take Apple to court over it.

It will be interesting to see what Google does with the patent should they manage to secure it. Will they immediately take Apple to court, or would using it as leverage in other patent negotiations make more sense? This will definitely be worth keeping an eye on.

I just wish all the lawsuits would stop. You don’t see Google going after other OS’s like MS and apple are. Seems like a waste of money to me but I guess they don’t want their lawyers just sitting around getting paid to do nothing.

That exactly what I mean. I don’t understand the number of minuses.
I say, that the patent system is sick, if it makes such stupid patens possible, and that all this BS is not “protecting intellectual property”, but unhonest concurrence and that corporations should improve their products, not patent portfolios.

I’m not so sure on this one. Frankly, I think a reciprocity agreement would be more beneficial to Google in this case vs ridding Apple of their notification center. I think it would be better if Google brought out the “we have this on you, it’s now one of your core features. Let’s put the patent war to rest and move on” stance. Apple smokes Google and everyone else in the patent vault, so I don’t think it’s a war Google really wants to partake in.

You’re likely right. Although with Google acquiring Motorola, Google will have so many patents over everyone in the cell phone market, it won’t even be funny. Motorola is expected to get an injunction against Apple any time now. Googorola will be nothing to be trifled with.

More beneficial, but with Steve Jobs’ famous declaration of wanting to destroy Android, I am not sure if that’s what Apple wants.. of course, with Jobs’ not around, perhaps other Apple executive will come to their senses and strike a deal.

What you’re saying sounds nice and reasonable, but I just don’t believe Apple is interested in striking deals with Google that would be in any way beneficial to the Android manufacturers that they’re continually suing the shtt out of.

was wondering how apple was able to blantantly rip off this from android. All my iphone buddies show me this on their phone like apple reinvented the wheel. I just sigh and say i was doing this on the g1 when you guys were making fun of my keyboard.

The same hold true for me. They are just sooo excited that Apple has “done it again.” I even overheard a conversation between some Apple fanboys talking about how Android stole it from Apple. *squeezes stress ball*

With Apple’s luck they will sue Google in Germany over this and the court will declare Google made a time machine, went into the future, stole the notification center from Apple than came back to the year 2009 and filed the patent. Apple is too quick to say someone stole something from them and German courts are too quick to agree

we don’t really need slide to unlock…in Germany the new ICS lock was found not to infringe and if the patent claims are to be taken literally we will be getting a lock screen that blows the competition away.

No Way Google let’s this pass. Apple will have no option, they either have to…

1-Pay a royalty fee for every device with Android type notifications
-Or-
2-Cut a deal with Google. As in permitting the Android lock screen to survive.
3-Revamp their entire notification system OS wide.

There was a good idea behind the thought of the patent system. It was to keep developers from just coping each over and over and cause them to innovate. To force them to think of different ways to do the same things. Companies now a days just abuse the system though. They copy each other and claim everything to be there own.

There shouldn’t be a software patent. Software is essentially a book written in a different language. It should have stayed within the realm of copyright protection and no further. This is more a case of which was done better; The Lord of the Rings (Apple) or A Song of Fire and Ice (Android). Both take their cues from The Once and Future King (Linux) and The Poetic Edda (Unix). In the end it is all language and while it can be copyrighted, any similarities need to be brushed off as unintentional or incidental and not a violation of intellectual property.

If you didn’t create the language, you don’t get to own it. It doesn’t matter how well you write in it, you are just borrowing what someone else did before.

I was wondering how apple could sue Google for practically having “a device with a screen”… while apple could just rip off Androids notification bar and get away with it. I sure hope this passes and Crapple gets a taste of their own medicine.

I kinda want to see a settlement more than anything. As much as I am not a fan of iOS, it should come down to “I won’t sue you if you stop suing us” kinda thing, and “let’s have the consumers be the judge and jury for our products instead of hiding behind lawyers”.. The whole patent wars is annoying and it’s hurting us more than anything.

If Google get this patent (in which i dont see why not), I hope Apple get whats coming to them and come up with sumthin new besides tryna make us redo procedures that we studied n tested…maybe yet infact they need to see and experienced how that feels like for once.

Personally as much as id like to see Google fight fire with fire using this patent as a big can of gas – if i am being honest, with the purpose Google now trying to one up apple and develop something even more amazing, i think it would be truly epic if Google just passed off iOS5 notification center as the next iteration of ICS’s notification system…inspiring them to create something that will top it for integration into jellybean, because, shouldn’t that be whats it about?

A good watch on the madness of patent and the concept of an idea is summed up in this video

Dustin articles are always fanboi based. I don’t care about apple. I want real android news. I mean, we know you guys get a lot of hits on these flame Apple articles, but quite frankly, no one here gives two sh.its about Apple. This fanboy/patent wars are sooo childish.

This isn’t some kind of maniqueist crusade. They need to defend themselves and catch value for their platform.

Hopefully they sign a MAD agreement and take their nukes home to end all this madness. A cross licensing deal wouldn’t be bad either… as long as the notifications panel has more weight in the exchange, because it does.

I agree with you. Google should put out a commercial saying, “Apple uses our product and patents because its GREAT for the customer to have access to, thats why we built it in the first place. We are here to make products that customers want and will enjoy, competition should drive ingenuity not litigation.”

Hopefully once Apple sees google doing the same thing they will stop trying to sue over such silly patents know damn well google can sue them right back.
i totally agree
these stupid patent wars need to end.
let innovation grow!

Thus far Google’s only used patents defensively, and I don’t see that changing. It’s sad to see someone have to bulk up for the arms race, but even worse to know that Microsoft makes more money from android than their own phones.

What I’m wondering is why is it taking so long to be approved? In the end some other company can patent something similar and screw google. I guess we’ll see. If this patent is granted to Android it will be awesome. That is a big change that apple would have to make if they don’t feel like paying on it to continue using it.

Was going to say the exact same thing. How is it that this patent is not rewarded to Google already. Android has had it actually “implemented” and “used” since its introduction. And the patent office still hasn’t figured out if the patent should be awarded to Google? And yet Apple files for whatever the hell they want, and many times, get it. Implemented, not implemented, sometimes a general idea like “interact with the phone to do something”, sometimes even stolen (ex. facial recognition). I seriously think we need to do some kind of whistle blowing on the relationship between Apple and patent office. I would not be surprised to find Apple blowing the patent office (probably literally).

WOW.. Google REALLY screwed the pooch not getting all these patents in place before now. I was wondering WTF when apple showed their notification system in IOS 5 and there were no lawsuits (cause lets face it, its pretty much a dead on android copy). REALLY hate all this lawsuit crap, however, google has to defend themselves and do what they need to do… but just remember.. Apple started all this petty crap, not google. so F’um! hope apple rots in Hell. Hte those a$$holes.

I’m so sick of companies patenting obvious techniques and using the invalid patents to bleed actual innovators dry. Now Apple’s become the world’s biggest patent troll.

Really, swipe to unlock?

I guess the bigger question is why the US awards so many bogus patents. Why does the patent office still not hire computer scientists? Why isn’t there a less expensive way to appeal a patent approval, or present prior art?

I just wish all the lawsuits would stop. You don’t see Google going after other OS’s like MS and apple are. Seems like a waste of money to me but I guess they don’t want their lawyers just sitting around getting paid to do nothing.

That exactly what I mean. I don’t understand the number of minuses.
I say, that the patent system is sick, if it makes such stupid patens possible, and that all this BS is not “protecting intellectual property”, but unhonest concurrence and that corporations should improve their products, not patent portfolios.

I’m not so sure on this one. Frankly, I think a reciprocity agreement would be more beneficial to Google in this case vs ridding Apple of their notification center. I think it would be better if Google brought out the “we have this on you, it’s now one of your core features. Let’s put the patent war to rest and move on” stance. Apple smokes Google and everyone else in the patent vault, so I don’t think it’s a war Google really wants to partake in.

You’re likely right. Although with Google acquiring Motorola, Google will have so many patents over everyone in the cell phone market, it won’t even be funny. Motorola is expected to get an injunction against Apple any time now. Googorola will be nothing to be trifled with.

More beneficial, but with Steve Jobs’ famous declaration of wanting to destroy Android, I am not sure if that’s what Apple wants.. of course, with Jobs’ not around, perhaps other Apple executive will come to their senses and strike a deal.

What you’re saying sounds nice and reasonable, but I just don’t believe Apple is interested in striking deals with Google that would be in any way beneficial to the Android manufacturers that they’re continually suing the shtt out of.

was wondering how apple was able to blantantly rip off this from android. All my iphone buddies show me this on their phone like apple reinvented the wheel. I just sigh and say i was doing this on the g1 when you guys were making fun of my keyboard.

The same hold true for me. They are just sooo excited that Apple has “done it again.” I even overheard a conversation between some Apple fanboys talking about how Android stole it from Apple. *squeezes stress ball*

With Apple’s luck they will sue Google in Germany over this and the court will declare Google made a time machine, went into the future, stole the notification center from Apple than came back to the year 2009 and filed the patent. Apple is too quick to say someone stole something from them and German courts are too quick to agree

we don’t really need slide to unlock…in Germany the new ICS lock was found not to infringe and if the patent claims are to be taken literally we will be getting a lock screen that blows the competition away.

No Way Google let’s this pass. Apple will have no option, they either have to…

1-Pay a royalty fee for every device with Android type notifications
-Or-
2-Cut a deal with Google. As in permitting the Android lock screen to survive.
3-Revamp their entire notification system OS wide.

There was a good idea behind the thought of the patent system. It was to keep developers from just coping each over and over and cause them to innovate. To force them to think of different ways to do the same things. Companies now a days just abuse the system though. They copy each other and claim everything to be there own.

There shouldn’t be a software patent. Software is essentially a book written in a different language. It should have stayed within the realm of copyright protection and no further. This is more a case of which was done better; The Lord of the Rings (Apple) or A Song of Fire and Ice (Android). Both take their cues from The Once and Future King (Linux) and The Poetic Edda (Unix). In the end it is all language and while it can be copyrighted, any similarities need to be brushed off as unintentional or incidental and not a violation of intellectual property.

If you didn’t create the language, you don’t get to own it. It doesn’t matter how well you write in it, you are just borrowing what someone else did before.

I was wondering how apple could sue Google for practically having “a device with a screen”… while apple could just rip off Androids notification bar and get away with it. I sure hope this passes and Crapple gets a taste of their own medicine.

I kinda want to see a settlement more than anything. As much as I am not a fan of iOS, it should come down to “I won’t sue you if you stop suing us” kinda thing, and “let’s have the consumers be the judge and jury for our products instead of hiding behind lawyers”.. The whole patent wars is annoying and it’s hurting us more than anything.

If Google get this patent (in which i dont see why not), I hope Apple get whats coming to them and come up with sumthin new besides tryna make us redo procedures that we studied n tested…maybe yet infact they need to see and experienced how that feels like for once.

Personally as much as id like to see Google fight fire with fire using this patent as a big can of gas – if i am being honest, with the purpose Google now trying to one up apple and develop something even more amazing, i think it would be truly epic if Google just passed off iOS5 notification center as the next iteration of ICS’s notification system…inspiring them to create something that will top it for integration into jellybean, because, shouldn’t that be whats it about?

A good watch on the madness of patent and the concept of an idea is summed up in this video

Dustin articles are always fanboi based. I don’t care about apple. I want real android news. I mean, we know you guys get a lot of hits on these flame Apple articles, but quite frankly, no one here gives two sh.its about Apple. This fanboy/patent wars are sooo childish.

This isn’t some kind of maniqueist crusade. They need to defend themselves and catch value for their platform.

Hopefully they sign a MAD agreement and take their nukes home to end all this madness. A cross licensing deal wouldn’t be bad either… as long as the notifications panel has more weight in the exchange, because it does.

I agree with you. Google should put out a commercial saying, “Apple uses our product and patents because its GREAT for the customer to have access to, thats why we built it in the first place. We are here to make products that customers want and will enjoy, competition should drive ingenuity not litigation.”

Hopefully once Apple sees google doing the same thing they will stop trying to sue over such silly patents know damn well google can sue them right back.
i totally agree
these stupid patent wars need to end.
let innovation grow!

Thus far Google’s only used patents defensively, and I don’t see that changing. It’s sad to see someone have to bulk up for the arms race, but even worse to know that Microsoft makes more money from android than their own phones.

What I’m wondering is why is it taking so long to be approved? In the end some other company can patent something similar and screw google. I guess we’ll see. If this patent is granted to Android it will be awesome. That is a big change that apple would have to make if they don’t feel like paying on it to continue using it.

Was going to say the exact same thing. How is it that this patent is not rewarded to Google already. Android has had it actually “implemented” and “used” since its introduction. And the patent office still hasn’t figured out if the patent should be awarded to Google? And yet Apple files for whatever the hell they want, and many times, get it. Implemented, not implemented, sometimes a general idea like “interact with the phone to do something”, sometimes even stolen (ex. facial recognition). I seriously think we need to do some kind of whistle blowing on the relationship between Apple and patent office. I would not be surprised to find Apple blowing the patent office (probably literally).

WOW.. Google REALLY screwed the pooch not getting all these patents in place before now. I was wondering WTF when apple showed their notification system in IOS 5 and there were no lawsuits (cause lets face it, its pretty much a dead on android copy). REALLY hate all this lawsuit crap, however, google has to defend themselves and do what they need to do… but just remember.. Apple started all this petty crap, not google. so F’um! hope apple rots in Hell. Hte those a$$holes.

I’m so sick of companies patenting obvious techniques and using the invalid patents to bleed actual innovators dry. Now Apple’s become the world’s biggest patent troll.

Really, swipe to unlock?

I guess the bigger question is why the US awards so many bogus patents. Why does the patent office still not hire computer scientists? Why isn’t there a less expensive way to appeal a patent approval, or present prior art?